although not systemwide, several props already have a quasi-C&P award for upgrading point stays to better room with options like private pool/suite

what is baby platinum and platinum elite?
Can you always get suite upgrade no matter how much you pay for your room as a LT platinum?

no............

I hit lifetime plat several years ago. I thought that I would not be hitting the 75 night per year any more. So far this year, I'm at 98 nights ..

I have stayed in all the chains. Hyatts are very nice but just not in enough locations for me. Starwood Hotels vary a lot - it was always very difficult for me to figure out if a hotel had a lounge or not or if I would be entitled to breakfast. Hilton's would likely be my second chain if it weren't for one thing:

I've figured out, over time, how to get the best price at marriott hotels, and except for very rare exceptions - I feel the perks and price I get at Marriott far exceeds what I can get elsewhere.

I had to stay at a few Starwood properties one year. So, I went ahead and did a Plat match intending to hit the 50 nights/year. How hard could it be to hit 50 nights when I do more than 100 nights per year?

Well, I hit four nights that year. In fairness, they now count any nights, and if they did that, I would have hit much more. I love the cash and points - good use of both. But, during the 18 months I had the status, I never found a starwood property that was less expensive than what I could get at a Marriott. Sure, I got upgrades, but the quality of rooms varied significantly property to property. With Marriott, with the single exception of some Fairfield Inns, the quality of one Marriott closely matches the quality of another. Or at least it's much more consistent that other chains.

With Marriott, I know the system. I know the tricks. I know what to do, and I feel like I get from 30% to 60% (sometimes more) back on every dollar I spend - plus some nice perks. And very few problems - certainly none that weren't worked out to my satisfaction.

I have no complaints.

Billy

I wonder the same thing... I have over 150 nights so far this year, not counting roll over nights, and I have only gotten a Concierge level room once. I know I should ask for upgrades but I don't feel like I should have to, it should be something that is just done when I check in. I am finishing my nights for the summer bonus and then moving on to another chain and will only stay at Marriott during bonuses. There is no real reason to give them any more nights.

This is my first year as a Marriott Platinum.

One word: Disappointing.

In what respect?

Cheers.

On a related note I am looking at my travel for the rest of the year.. I could probably hit platinum this year but I am considering moving some travel somewhere else just before I hit so I can get the rollover nights and have a better change of re-qualifying as gold next year.. Is this stupid? (it is along the lines I can not see a huge jump from Gold to Plat)

Im pretty sure Marriott has a soft landing policy, so if you hit platinum this year, you will be plat next year, then gold the following year.

I should hit LT platinum in the next month. I do see a difference between Plat and Gold...although its been 3-4 years since I was Gold. I get more suite upgrades and the bonus points help.

OTOH...wish there was something different for being Plat Premier. Only 5 percent of the time do hotels ever mention it and I presume they don't notice the difference in the other 95 percent.

And ... the program has been devalued for elites with the elimination of special promotions/rewards such as EEO's. Then again, I think other programs have been devalued too.

Something is wrong here.

Do you have "double beds" in your profile?

Does this mean that if I'm plat this year (2012), but I don't have enough nights to keep plat next year (2013), I will still be Plat in 2013?

When you achieve an elite level (i.e. Silver/Gold/Plat) you will have the elite status for the rest of the year you achieved it and all the following year.

If you do not have enough nights to keep that elite level, then after your year + of elite status, Marriott will only drop you one level. You will then be that one lower level elite status for all the next year.

So for example, you had 75 nights in 2011. You would have achieved Plat for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012. If during 2012 you only have 4 nights, you won't have enough nights to keep Plat. You will only be dropped to Gold for 2013 even though you didn't have the 50 nights normally needed. This is due to Marriott's soft-landing elite policy.

Thanks for the explanation, this makes sense. So basically you drop one level if you can't keep same level.

I have King bed in the profile, and I am at 169 nights for the year. Some SHS nights but mostly full service Marriotts.